The hum of morning traffic filtered faintly into the glass tower of Empire Brands. Friday sunlight spilled through the high-rise windows, bouncing off the chrome and polished wood of the twenty-fourth floor where the marketing division's heartbeat lived. Courtney sat at her desk in her new office—her own office, not just a corner cubicle, and certainly not Dwayne's shadow anymore.
The sleek company car had brought her in, and she still felt a quiet thrill each time she swiped her badge as a team leader rather than an assistant. The past month had been a whirlwind: sleepless nights, endless proposals, countless revisions, and finally—finally—the board's stamp of approval on her campaign for the luxury cosmetics client. Her team was buzzing, her ideas were on the table, and she wasn't just supporting anymore—she was leading.
But with leadership came attention.
